Exposed Elements

and Dimensions of
Vulnerability
After going through this lesson, you are
expected to:

a) Explain the meaning of vulnerability; and

b) Explain why certain sectors of society are
more vulnerable to disasters than others.
Exposed Elements and Dimensions
of Vulnerability

As you watch and hear news about

a disaster, what information are
always mentioned and
emphasized?
 Reporters always mention the cause and
effect of the disaster? Moreover, information
about the number of casualties, which can be
the number of deaths, injured and missing
people, the infrastructures destroyed, and the
total cost of the losses are also reported.
These information and data are very
important to assess the two elements of
disaster risk, which are exposure and
vulnerability.
 In this lesson, you will
learn about vulnerability
to disaster and how it
varies in the different
sectors of society.
 Activity 1: Am I vulnerable?

Directions: Select a place in your home and sit in

the middle of it. It can be any place like your room,
the kitchen or the living room. List down 3 things
found in this room (can be a person/object).
Suppose an earthquake occurs at this instant.
Describe what may happen to it and explain why it
is vulnerable to disaster.
An example is done for you. Refer to the next slide.
 Possible
Exposed Reasons for
effect of
element vulnerability
disaster
Ex. Living It could fall on It is not
room the floor and securely
Television break. attached to the
wall or cabinet.
1.

2.

3.
 After doing the activity, answer the
following questions:

1. Why are the things you listed in the table prone to the
effects of a disaster?

2. Are all items/persons in the room vulnerable to disaster?

Why or why not?

3. Based on the activity, how can you define vulnerability?

 Exposure and Vulnerability
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk
Reduction (UNDRR), formerly known as
the United Nations International Strategy
for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR), defines
exposure as the situation of people,
infrastructure, housing, production
capacities and other tangible human
assets located in hazard-prone areas.
 On other hand, vulnerability is
defined as the condition determined
by physical, social, economic, and
environmental factors or processes
which increase the susceptibility of
an individual, a community, assets
or systems to the impacts of
hazards.
 In the previous lesson you learned
capacity as the strengths, attributes,
and resources of a community or
society to manage and reduce disaster
risks. Vulnerability arises as an
outcome of a lack of or insufficient
capacity. Therefore, a greater capacity
reduces vulnerability, whereas a
weaker capacity promotes vulnerability.
Exposure: Elements Exposed to Hazards
Exposure refers to the elements at risk
that can be affected by hazards or are
present in the hazard zones that are
subject to potential losses.
 Exposed elements may be tangible or
intangible and can be classified into the
following categories:
1. Physical Elements
- Infrastructures such as bridges, roads, railways,
harbors, and airports.
- Essential facilities such schools, hospitals, fire
and police stations, and emergency shelters
- Utilities that include power, water, and gas supply
- Transportation and communication facilities
2. Societal Elements - vulnerable age
groups (children and the elderly),
persons with disability (PWD), homeless,
etc.

3. Economic Elements - business and

trade activities, accessibility to work,
productivity and opportunity costs.
4. Environmental Elements –
biodiversity, and environmental
resources such as land, water and
air.
 Dimensions of Vulnerability
The susceptibility of an individual,
community, asset or system to the
impacts of hazards is determined by the
physical, social, economic, and
environmental dimension. The greater
the susceptibility to the effects and
impacts of a hazard, the greater the
vulnerability.
 Dimensions of Vulnerability

1.Physical Dimension – refers to

geography, location and place of the
population at risk; and the site, design
and materials used for physical
structures.
 Some physical structures are more
vulnerable than others due to the age
of the building, poor planning, use of
the building etc. Proper planning
should be considered when selecting
materials for construction of a
physical structure as different
materials have different strengths
and weaknesses.
 Dimensions of Vulnerability

2. Social Dimension – this includes

demography; displacement and migration;
level of education and literacy; health, and
well-being; social equity and access to
basic human rights; cultural beliefs,
morality, and traditional values; safety
and security; and the governance aspects.
 Dimensions of Vulnerability

3. Economic Dimension – refers to

susceptibility of an economic system to the
effects of a possible disaster. This dimension
includes income, gross domestic product, tax
revenue, domestic savings, investments,
financial market, and indebtedness. The
economic dimension may also refer to
poverty, and lack of access to basic services.
 Dimensions of Vulnerability

4. Environmental Dimension – this

includes the regulation of the
ecosystem, ecosystem degradation,
depletion of the natural resources,
habitat destruction, and loss of
biodiversity.
 Variation of Vulnerability across
Sectors

Vulnerability and capacity of people may

be influenced by physical, social,
economic or even political factors. Age,
gender, health status and poverty greatly
affect the vulnerability of different
groups.
 The following are some groups with
potentially higher vulnerability than
others:

1. Children – They are not fully developed

physically and emotionally and have a poor
capability to defend themselves from abuse
and exploitation. As a vulnerable sector they
should be provided with special protection
needs.
2.Senior Citizens – The elderly may
have poor health conditions which
can worsen during a disaster. They
would require assistance in terms of
source of income, supply of
medicines or access to medical
facilities.
3.Women – Some women have less
opportunities for work and lower
wages due to discrimination and
gender inequality. Pregnant women
and those who underwent childbirth
would need pre and post-natal care.
4.Persons with Disability – They are
often not reached by disaster
warning systems or are not included
in disaster plans. Due to their
conditions, they would require higher
level of protection and easy access to
specified healthcare.
5.Ethnic Minorities – Disaster may
force indigenous people to flee from their
homes and relocate to distant places.
They are vulnerable to misrepresentation
and discrimination due to cultural
differences. They may also have less of
income generating opportunities when
displaced by disaster events.
6.Survivors of Conflict and
Violence – Aside from physical
needs, victims of conflict and violence
would also need counselling to help
them recover from disaster. They
may also need protections as they are
vulnerable to abuse.
7. Urban Poor - Those with low
income and unsecure livelihoods are
less likely to have greater capacity to
withstand its effects of disaster. It is
possible that laborers in the informal
sector be displaced due to the
circumstances of disaster.
What I Can Do ?

Remember, it is not only people who are

vulnerable to disaster. Animals are also
victims of natural and man-made hazards.
How can you help these vulnerable
animals?
Directions: List down ways to reduce the
vulnerability of animals to natural and
man-made hazards.